Cradle Coast Tasmania Natural Resource Contents Management Strategy Section One - Introduction 3 2010 – 2015 Natural resource management vision for the Cradle Coast region 3 Cradle Coast Tasmania About this document 4 Published by the Cradle Coast Natural Resource About the Cradle Coast region 9 Management Committee Natural Resource Management statement from the Tasmanian Aboriginal community 11 PO Box 338, Burnie TAS 7320 Phone 03 6431 6285 Fax 03 6431 7014 Section Two – Natural Resource Assets 14 Cradle Coast NRM is a committee Land 14 of the Cradle Coast Authority. Our natural landscapes 14 Note: This document is based on existing information Our productive landscapes 17 that may be subject to change. Every effort was made to check that the information in this document is accurate Our urban landscapes 19 and representative. Water 20 © December 2010 Cradle Coast NRM Committee Our rivers 21 This document may be reproduced in whole or in Our wetlands 25 part for the purpose of study or training, subject to acknowledging the source and not being used for Our groundwater 29 commercial purposes. Reproduction for other purposes Coasts 31 requires the permission of the Cradle Coast NRM Our coastlines 32 Committee. Our estuaries 34 Our oceans 36 Cover and text pages printed on Impact, which is 100% recycled and carbon neutral. Section Three – Monitoring, Evaluation, Photo credits: APR Sulphur Creek Coastcare, Reporting and Improvement 38 Michael Cannon, Belinda Colson, Alison Dugand, Rick Eaves, Martin Finzel, Jason McNeill, Joe Shemesh, Monitoring progress of the Strategy 39 Raelee Turner, Mary Viney. Notes on Supporting Documents and Information 40 Strategy logic 41 2 Section 1 - Introduction The Cradle Coast region is home to over 112,000 people who enjoy the benefits Natural resource of its abundant natural resources and management vision for landscapes. Our natural assets – rivers, the Cradle Coast region wetlands, groundwater, coasts, estuaries, oceans, natural and productive landscapes, Vibrant communities committed to protecting natural biodiversity, geology, atmosphere and resources and actively involved in managing the cultural heritage – all contribute to the resources for their environmental, social and economic unique character of this region. These benefits and values, to ensure a sustainable future assets are the foundation for our industries for our region. and give us clean water, fresh air and healthy lifestyles. The natural resources also have intrinsic values, which are recognised by their protection in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area and many other State Reserves. The region’s future depends on healthy ecosystems. As stewards of natural resources, we all have a stake in managing and protecting these assets for future generations. The people of the Cradle Coast region are fundamental to sustainable natural resource management. Many people are already actively managing and protecting the region’s natural resources through their work as primary producers and land managers, as volunteers in Landcare, Coastcare, and conservation groups and as members of Aboriginal communities. The Cradle Coast Natural Resource Management (NRM) Strategy (referred to as the Strategy in this document) builds on these activities and seeks to improve how we manage our natural resources. The natural resource management vision for the region takes a long term view. The Strategy is based on this vision and the achievement of a general aim to protect, maintain, improve and restore natural resources. Achieving the vision relies on a sustainable balance between economic, social and environmental outcomes. 3 ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT Purpose of the strategy A natural resource asset is a natural resource The Cradle Coast NRM Strategy is intended to or landscape feature that has economic, social guide anyone living or working in the region in the or environmental values. identification of activities they could undertake to ensure healthy natural resources. It does this by Having a strategy for the management of natural setting out: resources in the North West and Western region of Tasmania helps to focus on a common vision •a vision of healthy resources in the region with and identify the activities that contribute to achievable goals, so we know what we are achieving that vision. working towards The State and Federal Governments have •the current condition of the region’s natural adopted a regional approach to natural resource resources, so we can build on previous management initiatives in Australia. There are achievements and recognise key areas for future fifty-six NRM regions nationwide, including activities three NRM regions in Tasmania, and each has a •the main threats and issues facing these strategy that combines to deliver natural resource resources, so we can plan preventative actions outcomes for the benefit of us all. The North West as well as implementing restorative works where and West of Tasmania is commonly referred to as necessary, and the Cradle Coast region. The Strategy has been developed by the Cradle Coast Natural Resource •what is known about the resources, so we are Management Committee in conjunction with working from a common understanding, can help stakeholder and community support. to fill any knowledge gaps and share knowledge from past experience. The 2010-2015 Cradle Coast NRM Strategy aims to represent the views of the whole This Strategy has been developed as a reference community. It aims to balance economic, social document for the region and as such it does and environmental objectives and encourage not prescribe actions to individuals, groups or partnerships between community, industry and organisations. The Strategy instead helps readers Government. identify the issues and opportunities that will exist over the five year planning period and that have The Strategy does not have any statutory power a bearing on the attainment of the regional NRM or replace any current mechanism or policy goals and vision. Based on the information in the relating to natural resource management but Strategy, individuals, groups and organisations seeks to build partnerships between stakeholders are encouraged to create their own action plans to engaged in NRM. reflect their resources, skills and interests. How this strategy was developed The three Tasmanian NRM regions were created under the Natural Resource Management Act 2002 as part of an integrated natural resource management framework for the State. The Cradle Coast NRM Committee was established as a committee of the Cradle Coast Authority in 2003 and comprises of up to 15 members selected in accordance with the Act. The Committee has no regulatory role or powers but is responsible for a number of key functions including the development of a regional NRM strategy and to facilitate, 4 monitor and report on its implementation. The Cradle Coast NRM Strategy reflects both natural resource managers. Feedback and the national priorities defined by the Federal input to the Strategy is an ongoing process Government, the requirements defined by the State and will shape the next strategy revision to be Government’s Natural Resource Management undertaken in 2015. Act and the unique conditions, opportunities and Cradle Coast NRM staff and Committee challenges present or emerging in our region. members will also continue to use this Emerging issues such as the government regional NRM Strategy to guide development policy regarding climate change have potentially of their own operational plans reflective of significant impact on the region and will continue their available resources. An example process to be monitored by Cradle Coast NRM. Climate for developing an operational plan can be change also has associated issues including found on the Cradle Coast NRM website greenhouse gas emissions, a carbon economy (www.cradlecoastnrm.com) and the sustainability of current reserve systems. These issues create challenges across the region’s social, economic and environmental boundaries STATE AND FEDERAL POLICY and may result in increased pressure to develop AND LEGISLATION water resources, carbon taxes or changes to traditional agricultural practices and products. As Regional Natural Resource Management Strategy with all change, opportunities arise in areas such as carbon sequestration and Cradle Coast NRM Define regional natural assets will continue to inform, support and develop these LAND WATER COASTS opportunities with regional partners. Other emerging issues include demographic and Identify environmental, economic population pressures, technological changes, and social values of natural assets international demand for commodities and the changing political environment. Classify individual management units Development of this Strategy has also considered of natural assets according to values existing plans such as those relating to catchment management, municipal weed management, rivercare, parks management and sub-regional documents such as the West Coast Weed and Fire Management Strategy. This Strategy document is IMPLEMENTATION PLANS Developed as required by community, representative based on a review of the goals and five year actions groups, land managers, agencies and organisations identified in the 2005-2010 Cradle Coast NRM Strategy. The 2010-2015 Strategy builds on current natural resource management activities already underway in the region and recognises the positive contributions being made by landholders, land managers, Local, State and Federal Governments and community